Agence France Presse
20 octobre 2004 mercredi 10:44 PM GMT
La Turquie va signer le traité de Rome instaurant la CPI
PARIS 20 oct
Le Premier ministre turc Recep Tayyip Erdogan a annoncé mercredi soir
à Paris que la Turquie allait signer et ratifier le traité de Rome
instituant la Cour pénale internationale (CPI), chargée de juger les
crimes de guerre et contre l’humanité.
“La Turquie va signer et ratifier le traité de Rome” créant la CPI, a
annoncé le dirigeant turc lors d’un débat organisé par l’Institut
français des relations internationales (IFRI).
Le ministre répondait à une question posée par l’ancien ministre de
la Justice socialiste Robert Badinter, instigateur de l’abolition de
la peine de mort en France en 1981.
Etablie par ce traité du 17 juillet 1998, signé par 94 Etats, la CPI,
dont le siège est à La Haye, a démarré son activité le 1er juillet
2002.
La CPI est chargée de juger les responsables de génocides, crimes de
guerre et crimes contre l’humanité.
Lors de ce dîner-débat organisé dans le musée d’Orsay à l’occasion du
25ème anniversaire de l’IFRI, M. Erdogan a, par ailleurs, contesté la
réalité du génocide arménien.
“Ceux qui prétendent qu’il y a eu un génocide arménien n’ont pas eu
l’occasion d’étudier les archives ottomanes”, a-t-il dit. “S’ils le
font, ils verront qu’il y a des tableaux très différents”, a-t-il
affirmé.
“Cette question ne peut être pas être résolue par une méthode
parlementaire mais par une méthode scientifique, par les historiens”,
a-t-il poursuivi. “En utilisant une approche idéologique,
émotionnelle, raciste, on complique la tche”, a-t-il souligné,
répondant à une question posée par Simone Veil, ancienne présidente
du Parlement européen et ancienne déportée par les nazis.
De nombreux hommes politiques réclament en France, où vit une
communauté d’origine arménienne nombreuse (450 000 personnes), que la
Turquie reconnaisse le génocide arménien de 1915. Le Parlement
français a voté en 2001 une loi reconnaissant le génocide arménien.
Enfin, M. Erdogan a appelé la France à soutenir la candidature turque
à l’Union européenne.
“Entre deux pays (la France et la Turquie) qui ont une telle
alliance, on ne peut s’attendre qu’à une solidarité entre eux”,
a-t-il lancé. “Nous nous retrouvons ensemble dans toute une série
d’institutions internationales”, a-t-il ajouté, citant notamment
l’Otan et l’OCDE. “Il est inconcevable que l’on puisse ne pas se
retrouver encore ensemble au sein de l’Union européenne”, a poursuivi
M. Erdogan.
Le Premier ministre turc effectue une visite privée de deux jours à
Paris à l’invitation de l’Ifri.

Libération , France
20 octobre 2004
La Turquie dans l’UE, oui si…;
L’Europe devrait proposer à Ankara une voie rigoureuse vers la
démocratisation.
by NEZAN Kendal; Kendal Nezan, président de l’Institut kurde de
Paris.
Le débat passionnel qui s’engage un peu partout en Europe sur la
Turquie révèle une hostilité profonde de l’opinion vis-à-vis de son
adhésion à l’Union. Cette hostilité qui dépasse les clivages
politiques traditionnels est compréhensible. Elle ne saurait être
réduite aux seuls préjugés culturels et religieux ou à des réactions
de peur. La Turquie a une mauvaise image dans l’inconscient des
Européens, y compris dans des pays qui n’ont pas eu à souffrir du
passé ottoman des Turcs et qui n’ont pas de contentieux particulier
avec Ankara, et elle en porte la responsabilité.
Elle récolte aujourd’hui les fruits amers des violations massives des
droits de l’homme et de la persécution des minorités pratiquées par
ses gouvernements successifs tout au long du XXe siècle. Du déni du
génocide arménien à l’épuration de l’Anatolie de sa population
grecque autochtone, aux massacres et déplacements forcés des Kurdes
reniés dans leur identité et leur culture, à la répression des
dissidents s’écartant de l’idéologie nationaliste officielle et
intolérante, la liste de ces crimes est longue. Les Etats européens,
au nom de la Realpolitik, des impératifs de la guerre froide ou de
simples intérêts mercantiles, se sont accommodés de ces pratiques.
Pas la conscience publique tenue constamment en éveil par les
victimes du régime turc et les ONG des droits de l’homme. Les coups
d’Etat militaires quasi décennaux avec leur cortège de rafles,
d’exécutions sommaires, de réfugiés politiques, des procès
inquisitoriaux intentés à des intellectuels, des journalistes, des
élus du peuple comme Leyla Zana, y ont laissé des empreintes
profondes. Dans l’inconscient occidental, la Turquie reste encore le
pays de Midnight Express, un Etat capable de faire parler le turc à
quiconque sous la torture, selon l’inoubliable sketch de Coluche. Un
Etat qui a embastillé et forcé à l’exil ses plus grands artistes
comme Nazim Hikmet et Yilmaz Güney.
Tout cela, c’est du passé, il faut regarder l’avenir car la Turquie
est en train de changer, semble nous dire la Commission européenne,
qui, dans son rapport, dresse un tableau des “modifications apportées
aux systèmes politiques et juridiques turcs qui s’inscrivent dans un
processus de longue durée”. En quoi consistent-elles ?
La Constitution imposée par l’armée en 1982 a été amendée, ses
dispositions les plus liberticides supprimées, mais son esprit reste
autoritaire, et elle conserve toujours, dans son préambule, “le
concept de nationalisme” et “les principes et réformes d’Ataturk
[…], guide immortel et héros incomparable”, comme idéologie
officielle intangible de l’Etat, tout comme le marxisme-léninisme
était un dogme de la Constitution soviétique.
Le nouveau code pénal, qui remplace celui emprunté dans les années
1930 à l’Italie de Mussolini, est dans le contexte turc une avancée
démocratique importante, malgré certains articles potentiellement
dangereux pour la liberté d’expression. La suppression des cours de
sûreté de l’Etat, la levée de l’état d’exception dans les provinces
kurdes, l’abolition de la peine de mort, sont des progrès indéniables
à inscrire dans le bilan de l’actuel gouvernement turc qui cependant,
malgré sa volonté affichée, n’a pu réduire sensiblement la pratique
de la torture.
Réaliste, la Commission européenne nous prévient qu'”il faudra encore
du temps avant que l’esprit des réformes soit pleinement reflété dans
les attitudes des instances exécutives et judiciaires, à tous les
niveaux et dans l’ensemble du pays”.
Les Kurdes, comme d’habitude, sont les oubliés de ces négociations
interétatiques. La Commission évalue leur nombre entre 15 et 20
millions, soit près du tiers de la population totale de la Turquie.
Après des années de tergiversations, le gouvernement turc leur
accorde magnanimement le droit d’organiser des cours privés de kurde
pour adultes et une émission quotidienne de 45 minutes diffusée au
petit matin sur une chaîne publique, sous-titrée en turc, composée de
musique et d’informations officielles. Aucun progrès n’est enregistré
dans le processus de retour de 3 millions de déplacés kurdes et de la
reconstruction des 3 428 villages kurdes évacués et détruits par
l’armée turque. Et pour cause : la politique fondamentale de l’Etat
reste toujours la dispersion des Kurdes et leur assimilation forcée
afin de parvenir, à terme, à forger une Turquie culturellement
homogène.
Bref, sur la question kurde, qui est au coeur même de la
problématique des droits de l’homme, de la démocratisation de la
Turquie et de ses relations avec son voisinage, les avancées restent
infinitésimales et symboliques, juste de quoi ne pas désespérer
Bruxelles qui n’a pas le courage d’inviter Ankara à reconnaître à ses
citoyens kurdes des droits comparables à ceux qu’il revendique pour
les quelque 150 000 Turcs chypriotes.
Dès lors, il n’est pas étonnant que les réformes turques, en dépit de
leur nombre et de leur rythme, paraissent, pour une large partie de
l’opinion, relever plus du ravalement de façade que d’un processus de
démocratisation véritable. On est loin d’une stratégie de rupture
avec le passé.
Malgré ce bilan mitigé, la Commission recommande l’ouverture de
négociations afin d’encourager les efforts des réformateurs turcs et
semble miser sur la dynamique d’adhésion pour régler les dossiers qui
posent actuellement problème.
Curieusement, ce sont les partis conservateurs, qui, pendant des
décennies, s’affichaient comme des alliés fidèles d’Ankara, qui se
montrent aujourd’hui hostiles aux négociations, et les principales
victimes du régime turc qui demandent un dialogue critique avec
Ankara.
Ainsi, selon un récent sondage, 90 % des Kurdes de Turquie se disent
favorables à l’entrée de leur pays dans l’Union européenne car
celle-ci est perçue par eux comme un espace supranational de paix, de
démocratie et de prospérité susceptible de sauver la Turquie de ses
démons nationalistes et militaristes. Ils espèrent aussi, qu’à terme
ils parviendront à obtenir des droits et libertés comparables à ceux
dont jouissent aujourd’hui Basques, Catalans et Ecossais dans
l’Europe démocratique. De plus, le fait qu’à la suite de l’adhésion
turque la frontière de l’Union passe au milieu du Kurdistan donne aux
Kurdes des pays voisins des raisons d’espérer la démocratisation, par
effet de contagion, de leurs Etats respectifs. Les Grecs se disent
également favorables à l’intégration d’Ankara et cette position a
déjà contribué à une nette amélioration de leurs relations avec leurs
voisins turcs.
A l’intérieur de la société turque, outre l’élite déjà occidentalisée
d’Istanbul et de la côte égéenne, la mouvance islamique incarnée par
le parti conservateur AK actuellement au pouvoir place ses espoirs
dans le processus européen qui lui sert notamment de levier pour
démilitariser le régime et réduire la tutelle pesante d’une armée se
conduisant en propriétaire ultime de l’Etat, prête à sévir pour
trahison contre tous ceux s’écartant de la “voie d’Ataturk”.
Si Turcs, Kurdes et Grecs trouvent leurs intérêts dans l’adhésion
turque à l’Union, quel intérêt aurait celle-ci à intégrer un pays de
70 millions d’habitants pauvres et musulmans, de surcroît situé dans
une région instable et infestée de conflits ? Avec un PIB
représentant environ 2 % du PIB de l’Europe des Vingt-Cinq, l’apport
économique turc restera modeste. Contrairement à ce que, par
méconnaissance de l’histoire de la région, affirment certains
stratèges en chambre, l’intérêt géopolitique reste également limité :
à l’exception, peut-être, de l’Azerbaïdjan, l’influence turque est à
peu près nulle dans le Caucase et en Asie centrale. Et en raison de
son passé ottoman, de son alliance avec les Etats-Unis et Israël, la
Turquie n’a pas d’influence significative au sein du monde musulman.
En vérité, en Asie mineure, qui constitue 97 % du territoire de la
Turquie, les seuls voisins terrestres des Turcs sont des Kurdes.
L’Empire ottoman, qui l’avait bien compris, avait accordé une large
autonomie aux princes kurdes pour obtenir leur soutien. Cette réalité
reste encore incontournable car les ressources hydrauliques des
bassins de l’Euphrate et du Tigre sont situées au Kurdistan et les
oléoducs destinés à transporter le pétrole du Caucase et de l’Irak
doivent traverser le pays kurde avant d’arriver au port turc de
Ceyhan.
A regarder de près, le véritable intérêt pour l’Europe de l’adhésion
de la Turquie serait de pacifier et sécuriser ses frontières
orientales. Si dans ses négociations avec Ankara elle parvenait à
convaincre les dirigeants turcs de l’intérêt pour tous de trouver une
solution à la question kurde, de reconnaître le génocide arménien
pour apurer le passé et de régler à l’amiable leurs différends avec
la Grèce, la paix, la justice et la démocratie auraient fait
d’immenses progrès dans une région qui en a bien besoin. Alors, une
Turquie en paix avec ses populations et avec ses voisins devrait
avoir toute sa place en Europe.
Après avoir réconcilié Allemands et Français, Polonais et Allemands,
la construction européenne pourrait ainsi réaliser le miracle de
réconcilier à ses confins Grecs, Turcs, Kurdes et Arméniens.
Une telle ambition historique comporte certainement des risques dont
certains, comme le poids démographique ou la libre circulation des
personnes, peuvent être réglementés et gérés. Elle aura aussi un
coût, évalué à quelque 25 milliards d’euros à l’horizon 2020, qui
reste fort modeste par rapport aux 200 milliards de dollars déjà
dépensés par les Américains dans leur entreprise d’instaurer la
démocratie en Irak.
Une Europe frileuse, sans vision ni ambition finirait par devenir un
club de retraités de l’Histoire. Une Europe ouverte et ambitieuse
devrait proposer à Ankara des négociations avec une feuille de route
rigoureuse en matière de démocratisation, de droits de l’homme, du
règlement du problème kurde, etc. et assumer des risques qui restent
raisonnables car si la Turquie fait l’effort de remplir effectivement
ces conditions elle ne sera plus la même et pourrait être une chance
pour l’Europe. Si, en raison des pesanteurs de son régime, elle
tergiverse ou refuse l’effort requis, la balle restera dans son camp
mais le processus aura tout de même permis quelques avancées pour la
population. Un “oui, si” laisserait la place à l’espoir, et de
l’espoir on en a tous bien besoin.

OSKANIAN MAKES DISCORDANT STATEMENTS
Azg/am
22 Oct 04
Foreign minister Vartan Oskanian is making discordant statements these
days about Turkey’s possible membership in EU, Armenia’s blockade and
Armenian-Turkish relations.
“There are no diplomatic relations between Armenian and Turkey today,
and the border is closed putting Armenia in a tough situation”,
ITAR-TASS quoted Vartan Oskanian as saying this in Rome on
October19. Oskanian noted at the round table called “South Caucasus:
Stability and Safety” organized by the Italian I nstitute of Foreign
Affairs and the Armenian embassy to Italy that Turkey’s integration to
EU will open a new door for Yerevan-Ankara relations.
The CNN-Turk touched on Oskanian’s speech. “We wish that the
Armenian-Turkish border-gate opened. The fact that we have no
border-gate with Turkey and Azerbaijan causes lot of troubles. Armenia
is a European state by its spirit and is taking important steps to
reach European standards. Turkey’s membership to EU will bring
Europe’s borders closer to Armenia. Acknowledgment ofthe Armenian
Genocide is not a precondition for starting talks with Ankara”,
Oskanian said.
A press release spread by Foreign Ministry’s press center reads: “The
minister touched on Turkey’s membership to EU and presented Armenia’s
position on the issue”. But the press release keeps silent about
Oskanian’s speech. That’s why we turned to ITAR-TASS and CNN-Turk for
details.
Minister Oskanian’s words uttered in Rome do not correspond with his
statement at a press conference a month ago that Armenia’s economy
will develop without either oil or gas pipelines and even in a
blockade.
Vartan Oskanian certainly new the audience before which he was
standing but Armenian officials’ statements very often contain
contradiction especially in case of Armenia-Turkish relations.
Oskanian declares Turkey’s integration to EU as beneficial for
Armenian-Turkish relations in Rome whereas in Yerevan, October 11, he
stated that Turkey is unworthy of EU admittance talks. “A country that
has blockaded Armenia and has recently passed a law making the
recognition of the Armenian Genocide, as well as any claim to withdraw
Turkish forces from Cyprus, a criminal act isnot worthy even the
negotiations for EU accession. We think that Turkey is not ready for
that”, Oskanian said.
Defense Minister Serge Sargsian in his turn told Marko Zakera, deputy
chairman of East European Union, that Armenia considers Turkey’s
membership in EU favorable.
As opposed to Yerevan, Ankara hews to its chosen line in relations
with Armenia. This is a policy of blockade and threats.
It seems that Armenia also has a straightforward Turkish policy: not
to put forward preconditions for starting diplomatic relations. But
Armenian officials become shaky when it comes up to Turkey’s
admittance to the EU. Europe in its turn considers the “Armenian
factor” a trifling issue. Europe is not going to ask Armenia or
Diaspora whether to admit Turkey or not. The “Armenian factor” may
become a subject of bargain at best.
By Tatoul Hakobian

GEORGIA’S NEW EDUCATIONAL LAW
Do Javakhk’s Demographic Changes Stand Behind?
Azg/am
22 Oct 04
Dali Aghdgomeladze is a teacher of Georgian in one of Akhalkalak’s
schools. She speaks Armenian brilliantly. I asked her whether
Georgian is ignored in Javakhk. “Some people try to picture it like
that but there is no ignorancein fact. Everything hangs on parents and
families. When parents explain children that they should learn
English, Georgian, they do so”, Dali said.
Georgian language has been a school subject in the schools of Javakhk
since the Soviet times but only 1 out of 100 school graduates knew
Georgian letters. Though Georgia’s new authorities make efforts to
teach Georgian to Armenians of Javakhk there is hardly any progress
today. There were cases when teachers sent from Tbilisi to remote
villages of Javakhk learnt Armenian but none of pupils learnt
Georgian.
But Georgia’s “rose” leaders never give up. A draft law on “Public
Education of Georgia” is to be discussed in the parliament in near
future. “81 per cent of Javakhk’s population is acquainted with the
coming changes and support reforms”, Haravayin Darpas, Javakhk’s
Armenian newspaper quoted education minister Kakha Lomaya as
saying. “Those who understand the meaning and purpose of the reforms
support the project. But there are also people opposing it. Those are
the corrupted directors of schools”, Lomaya said.
The draft law was not welcomed in Javakhk and in Azeri populated Kvemo
Kartli. “We are against this project, as well as Azeris”, Levon
Levanian, representative of Georgia’s ombudsman to Akhalkalak and
Ninotsminda, said. He said that law’s 3d article’s 5th and 6th points
are the most worrying.
The 5th point reads: “Georgian is the teaching language in all
educational establishments. Abkhaz language together with Georgian is
the teaching language of Abkhazia”. The 6th point reads: “If the
language of an educational establishment does not correspond to the
mother tongue of a pupil, the guardians’ board may include programs of
teaching pupil’s mother tongue or else subjects in the mother tongue
but only within the frames of the current financial support of the
state”.
In case the law is passed, all subjects at the schools of Javakhk will
be taught in Georgian except for Armenian language and literature. 99
per centof teachers of Javakhk’s schools do not know Georgian, and one
can hardly fancy an Armenian teacher explaining to Armenian pupils
Mendeleyev’s law in Georgian.
People think in Akhalkalak that the new educational law has a
far-reaching aim of shifting the region’s demography. Head of Virk
Party Davit Rstakian says: “The state pays 500 lari ($270) those who
will come to teach in Georgian. There is a guileful aim behind the
law: an attempt to change Javakhk=80=99s demographic picture. As soon
as the law is passed, hundreds of teachers will come to the region
with their families and Armenian teachers will drop out of the
schools”.
“Georgians always note that Georgia is in the 2d place with number of
Armenian schools after Armenia. That’s true but that is not due to
Georgians but comes from Armenians habit of living in communities. The
fact that Armenians inhabit whole regions has been disturbing all
Georgian governments since 1918. They made every effort to bar the
Armenians. They succeeded in Akhaltskha”, Rstakian says.
Levanian is also concerned but is suspicious whether Georgians will
stand Javakhk’s winter. “Even if they inhabit region with Georgians
they will hardly stay here. It’s awfully cold here. The government has
already sent few dozens of teachers this year, we’ll see if they will
stand the cold or not”, he says.
A branch of Georgia’s state university opened in Akhalkalak 3
yearsago. “They teach only in Georgian at the university and 100-150
students come tostudy from all over Georgia annually. The state
provides good conditions for them. The state attempts to change
demography of Javakhk artificially. The university will release
semi-educated Armenians, because they don’t know Georgian, and
well-educated Georgians. The latter ones will settle in Javakhk for
5-6 years for their studies, will occupy positions and eventually stay
here”, a resident of Akhalkalak, Vartan Hakobian, says.
Artur Yeremian, head of Akhalkalak Region’s Administration, noticesno
sign of Javakhk’s demographic shift. “We know from the experience that
only Armenians can endure Javakhk’s conditions”, he says reminding
that in 1989 newly inhabited Georgians could stand only one winter and
soon left, leaving the houses especially made for them.
By Tatoul Hakobian

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA
PRESS AND INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
375010 Telephone: +3741. 544041 ext 202
Fax: +3741. .562543
Email: [email protected]:
The official visit of Foreign Minister Oskanian to Italy
Today, in course of his official visit to Italy, Minister Oskanian had
meetings with municipal authorities and business circles of Venice. The
General Secretary of the Venice Trade Chamber, Romano Tiotso, and local
businessmen received the minister. The talks were held about the necessity
of starting Armenian-Italian relations at the regional level.
Both sides marked the close historical ties and traditions between Venice
and Armenia, in which the role of the Mkhitarians’ Unity is significant in
our days. The two sides also underlined the importance of bilateral
cooperation in the sphere of small and medium-size business. In this field,
winemaking, agricultural production, tourism, and light industry were
considered as the most viable arenas.
The two sides agreed to arrange mutual visits of business groups, exchange
of experts, and business forums, in order to elaborate concrete programs of
cooperation. Minister Oskanian then met with local press.
In the afternoon, a meeting was held with the municipal authorities. In the
course of the meeting, Minister Oskanian expressed his gratitude to the
municipal authorities for their care for the Mkhitarians’ Unity, which held
a crucial role in maintaining the Armenian institutions of S. Ghazar island.

ARMENIAN OFFICIAL REPLIES TO PUBLIC ANGER AT REGISTRATION OF JEHOVAH’S
WITNESSES
Arminfo
21 Oct 04
YEREVAN
There is nothing illegal in the official registration of the Jehovah’s
Witnesses religious sect, the head of the Armenian government
department for ethnic minorities and religion, Granush Kharatyan, told
a news conference today.
Kharatyan expressed her surprise at the angry reaction from part of
the public caused by the recent registration of this religious
sect. In this connection, she said that no-one had protested against
the registration and activities of Pentecostalists, Protestants or
Jews in Armenia.
“During their ceremonies, Jews call for anti-Christian
actions. However, nobody has ever been concerned about them,” she
said. Also, under Armenia’s laws, a religious sect cannot be denied
registration unless its charter contradicts the law. The charter of
Jehovah’s Witnesses fully complies with the law, as the Armenian
Justice Ministry itself has said.
At the same time, Kharatyan said that the law on religion signed in
1991 is not completely perfect as it does not ban religious ceremonies
hostile to other faiths.
“Our job is not to fight religious sects but oversee them,” Kharatyan
said. “But you cannot oversee something if there is no appropriate
legislation. However, we will withstand this outrage caused by the
(registration) of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

Public Relations Director
Contact: Mira Yardemian
Haigazian University
Rue Mexique – Kantari
P.O. Box 11-1748
Riad El-Solh 1107 2090
Beirut – Lebanon
Haigazian University Celebrates the First Event of Its
50th Anniversary: Founders’ Day
On October 18, 2004, at 12:00 pm, the hall of the First Armenian
Evangelical Church in Beirut was full of anticipation as students,
alumni, faculty, staff, press, guests and others gathered to take part
in Haigazian University’s Founders’ Day, the kick-off event of each
academic year. But among the guests this year were the Ambassador of
Armenia in Lebanon, Mr. Areg Hovanessian, and the keynote speaker of
the occasion, the President of the Lebanese Press Federation,
Mr. Mohammad Baalbaki.
Beginning with the Lebanese National Anthem, followed by the
invocation of the Campus Minister, the Rev. Nishan Bakalian, the
Vice-Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, the Rev. Robert
Sarkissian, announced the official commencement of the 50th
anniversary celebrations. He assured the audience of the board’s
commitment to the founding principles and mission of Haigazian
University.
In her tribute to the Founders, the Dean of Arts & Sciences, Dr. Arda
Ekmekji, highlighted the factors leading to the foundation of the
University 50 years ago: the need to prepare Armenian Evangelical high
school students for university admission, the efforts of churches in
the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches of the Near East (UAECNE),
and its then-president, the late Rev. Hovhannes Aharonian, and the
$25,000 grant of Mr. Steven Mehagian to the Armenian Missionary
Association of American (AMAA) in New York, giving birth to the
project in October 1955. Other significant names, such as Stephen
Philibosian, the Rev. Puzant Kalfayan and the AMAA, were mentioned as
maintaining an ongoing interest in the college.
The Rev. Dr. Armenag Haigazian, in whose name the university was
named, was a graduate of Yale University, a distinguished educator,
theologian, linguist, pastor, writer, musician and photographer. Until
his deportation by the Kemalist forces in 1921, he was the much-loved
and respected president of the Jenanyan Apostolic Institute in Konya,
Turkey. All of these attributes of this prominent academic justify the
fact the University was named in his honor.
Afterwards, the audience enjoyed a solo, `My Tribute’ by Andrae
Crouch, powerfully delivered by vocalist Houry Apartian, and
accompanied on the keyboard by Haigazian student Vartan Agopian.
The Director of the Student Life, Mr. Antranik Dakessian, introduced
the Student of the Year for 2004, Mr. Abdel Khaleq Abdel Khaleq, who
in his address acknowledged that Haigazian University has enriched
students not only with excellent education, but also with high ethical
and moral standards. He considered Haigazian his second home, where he
shared with fellow students his goals and experiences, and most
importantly got acquainted with the Armenian culture. Considering that
a well-rounded university education consists of the balanced
acquisition of academic knowledge, social experience and spiritual
well-being, he urged the new students to get involved in activities
and clubs of the university.
The Dean of Business Administration and Economics, Dr. Fadi Asrawi,
remembered the Rocket Society of Haigazian College by a very
interesting slide presentation: Founded at the College in November
1960, the Haigazian Rocket Society was organized for two aims: one, to
interest and acquaint students with this new field of study; and two,
to research the properties and performance of specific propellants and
the construction design of rocket propulsion systems. During the first
year five students participated. This number increased considerably
during the years following, and in the summer of 1962 it became a
national project, adopted by the Lebanese government, under the name
`The Lebanese Rocket Society’. Of particular note was that the
ballistics expert appointed by the Lebanese Army at that time to the
Society, General Youssef Wehbe, was in the audience, and offered his
own reflections on the Society.
The keynote speaker, the President of the Press Federation,
Mr. Mohammad Baalbaki, eloquently delivered his speech and emphasized
on the role that the Armenian community in general, and Haigazian
University in particular, played in the history of Lebanon, in the
years of the Lebanese civil war, and its positive and exemplary
contribution to Lebanese society. He commented that although
Dr. Armenag Haigazian has passed away, his memory and deeds are
perpetuated through the philosophy of Haigazian University, which in
itself is a `Rocket’ in the field of knowledge and higher education.
Finally, the president of the University, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian,
offered words in which he considered the namesake of the university,
Dr. Armenag Haigazian, as symbolically a founder behind the founders,
since he as a person embodied the motto of the university: truth,
freedom and service. Truth – Rev. Haigazian had a true and
comfortable sense of belonging to his people and his cultural
context. Likewise, truth at Haigazian University starts with the
discovery of the self, and God. Freedom – Regrettably, Armenag
Haigazian’s Ottoman context did not allow this in the early twentieth
century. With Armenian identity and Lebanese outlook, the University
was able to integrate the Armenians with the non-Armenians, as well as
initiating in the early 60s a scientific symbol of freedom, that is, a
series of rockets called the `Cedar’. Service – Rev. Haigazian’s
significance was in putting all his knowledge and characteristics in
the service of people and God. This sense of service in the University
today derives from our faith in God.
The president continued by acknowledging a number of significant
people present in the audience: Mrs. Maggie Matossian, a member of the
Board of Directors of Haigazian since the very first years, and later
the founder of the Women’s Auxiliary; two of the 43 original students
who were the first class to register in 1955; and General
Wehbe. Finally he expressed gratitude to the many people in Lebanon
and the USA, who have worked, prayed, paid, planned, thought for
Haigazian or received higher education in it.
Following the Alma Mater, sung by Ms. Apartian, the attendees
proceeded to the Matossian Gallery in the Mugar Building, where
archival documents and photographs of 50 years of Haigazian’s history
had been newly put on display.

Turkish Daily News
21 October 2004
If only Derrida hadn’t died
Gunduz Aktan
Debates concerning our membership in France have gone beyond the reasonable
with all the political parties and movements divided. Everyone is offering
an excuse depending upon their political convictions. A racist like Le Pen
and a Jewish socialist like Laurent Fabius find themselves defending the
same opinion.
In parliamentary debates on our membership held on Oct. 15 — brought
forward by the government — many criticisms were aired, but no vote —
which would have been unfavorable to us — was taken. This way, the
possibility of Turkey getting a date to start negotiations at the European
Union summit on Dec. 17 was kept alive.
Meanwhile, President Jacques Chirac is trying to insert an article in the
Constitution allowing a referendum on the accession treaty that will be
signed at the end of the negotiations. This will nullify France’s
international responsibilities that started with the Ankara Treaty signed in
1963, and ask the French people to have their say in violation of the
principle of “pacta sun servanda.”
On the other hand, the argument that “all negotiations are open-ended” is
also wrong. They are asking us to accept, right from the beginning, that
even if we fulfill all the clauses of the negotiations, which may last 10 to
15 years, we might not become members due to unrelated reasons.
There are those who oppose Turkey’s membership in every EU country. However,
none are carried away with their opposition like in France. If Turkey is too
large, populous, situated in a tough location, or is Muslim, this fact is
evident to all the other 24 members, not only to France. Moreover, Turkey
did not acquire these characteristics yesterday — so what’s wrong with
France?
Had Derrida been alive, he would have applied the method of deconstruction
to this bizarre phenomenon in his country. This method, in very general
terms, is based on the creation of a conceptual construction by the
exclusion of its opposite concept. In other words, it is necessary to
exclude the concept of fascism and racist anti-Semitism, as opposed to the
constituent concept of democracy and respect for human rights in order to
realize an integration which would prevent a war like World War II.
In this respect, countries like Turkey that are to become EU members have to
implement democracy and human rights. Turkey is expected to grant rights to
“minorities” like the Kurds and to face the “Armenian genocide” claims, just
like they faced the Jewish Holocaust.
Derrida, who was well acquainted with Freud, would have immediately realized
that Europe was not isolating abstract concepts as the opposite of
“democracy-human rights-minority rights,” but rather Turkey and the Turkish
people as representing these concepts.
The anti-Turkish groups in France and elsewhere believe that Turkey’s
anti-democratic system is based on its founding ideology of Kemalism, will
not change and believe that those who conducted the so-called “genocide” on
Armenians would not grant Kurds any rights. This “unchangeable” character
attributed to us constitutes the proof that we are subjected to exclusion.
According to Freud, the material repressed in the unconscious remains
unchanged there. On the day you return having changed, they do their outmost
not to believe you.
France has another problem with us: We are closer to France than any other
EU member. The Republic of Turkey was influenced by the French Revolution.
French enlightenment and positivism have become an integral element of our
souls. In order to believe that it is the one and only, France
narcissistically exaggerates the minor differences. By projecting the
anti-Semitism of the Vichy regime and the sins of French nationalism
committed in Algeria onto the excluded Turks, “purified” France becomes a
part of the unification of Europe. It believes that the excluded or
repressed material projected onto us would return to the EU through our
membership and that this would be the end of the EU. France fears that its
vision or illusion of the EU will end with our membership.
Derrida used to say that at the end of the deconstruction process a
synthesis would be produced by the amalgamation of the interiorized concept
with the excluded one and that this new concept, which would reflect the
realities, would bring about justice.
This will be the greatest contribution our membership will make to the EU.
NOTE: This article appears in daily Radikal and, after being translated by
the Turkish Daily News staff, in the Turkish Daily News on the same day.

ASBAREZ ONLINE
TOP STORIES
10/21/2004
TO ACCESS PREVIOUS ASBAREZ ONLINE EDITIONS PLEASE VISIT OUR
WEBSITE AT <;HTTP:// 1) British Delegation Visits Karabagh, Azeris Unhappy 2) Turkish Tabloid Goes on Rant about Minister's Remarks 3) ESP Focuses on International Justice, AYF Discusses Genocide with Turkish Counterparts 4) University of Michigan to Bring Together South Caucasus Diplomats and Scholars 5) Chess Olympiad Update 1) British Delegation Visits Karabagh, Azeris Unhappy STEPANAKERT (Combined Sources)--Azerbaijan's foreign affairs ministry sent a letter to the British government protesting a visit by a British parliamentary delegation to Karabagh, headed by member of the House of Commons Gordon Marsden, and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords Baroness Caroline Cox. The letter of protest assesses the visit as a "violation of Azerbaijan's rights." Denouncing the visit as "illegal," the letter asks that the members of British parliament be more sensitive to the feelings of the Azeri people. The British delegation arrived in Karabagh on October 20 and met with Mountainous Karabagh Republic President Arkady Ghukasian and National Assembly Chairman Oleg Yesayan. President Ghukasian, expressing gratitude for the visit, said it was another opportunity for the people of Karabagh to make their position heard in Europe. Ghukasian briefed the delegation members on Karabagh's recent achievements in such areas as human rights protection and building a democratic state based on rule of law. He also spoke about the favorable conditions for non-governmental organizations to carry out their work. The delegation is scheduled to meet representatives of Karabagh's NGOs. Ghukasian then spoke about the conflict regulation process, affirming that Karabagh's leadership deems the maintenance of the ceasefire as a key point for its population's security. Gordon Marsden said the visit allowed for them to learn first-hand information about Karabagh and its people, as their purpose was to determine the volume of humanitarian assistance. Meanwhile, the Azeri Organization for Karabagh Liberation held a protest near the British Embassy in Baku on Wednesday and placed a black wreath in front of the embassy. Also, unidentified assailants wrote the name of Baroness Cox on the memorial to British soldiers killed in Baku in 1918 using black paint. Police arrived at the scene and removed paint off the memorial. 2) Turkish Tabloid Goes on Rant about Minister's Remarks (Marmara)--The Turkish tabloid Takvim has been blasting People's Republican Party parliament minister Kamal Darwish, a former government minister for telling the French Le Monde paper that he is deeply saddened by the massacre of Armenians, and that it is necessary to recognize and express sorrow in connection with that tragedy. Takvim reported about the interview on Wednesday, and on Thursday published reaction from People's Republican Party (CHP), and Justice and Development Party (AKP) parliament members who categorically condemned Darwish and demanded he apologize to the Turkish people. AKP minister Suleyman Turgut went as far as to say that in light of his parliamentary oath, he can no longer work with such an individual. Another AKP minister Aziz Akgul noted that anyone familiar with Turkey's history knows that no such atrocity took place, though Armenians did try to provoke the Turks. Yet another AKP minister Selahadin Beyribeh from Gars, reported that coming from that territory, he knows that the main atrocity was against the Turks, and carried out by Armenians. "The concept of systematic massacres is nonexistent in the Islamic faith. On the battlefield, people from both sides die, but that is not a massacre," he said. "Is it imaginable that the Turks would set Armenians on fire in a Mosque?" "But hundreds of Turks were set afire in Gars. Darwish is contemptible, and I'm saddened that we conduct politics under the same roof." Others condemned Darwish, saying that the enemy has been given the upper hand as a result of his stance. CHP parliamentary group's vice chair Kamal Anadol revealed that his party would review Darwish's statement, and if necessary, will issue a clarification. Speaking as a historian, Anadol said that the Armenian issue was one of deportation--a mandatory emigration, practiced my numerous countries against its minorities. "But, massacre is something different," he said, rehashing the fact that both sides experience losses in battle. "And that is left in the pages of history; we have no right to utilize them as a chip in current political affairs." Takvim adds that the general public is also outraged by Darwish. One citizen remarked, "Kamal Darwish has buttered on the bread of Armenia, who is already preparing to demand territory from Turkey." 3) ESP Focuses on International Justice, AYF Discusses Genocide with Turkish Counterparts LONDON (Combined Sources)--The third European Social Forum (ESF), which convened in London on October 15, came to a successful end on October 17. At a giant gathering for groups and organizations opposed to war, racism, and economic injustice, the ESF attracted over 30,000 participants from all regions of the world. The ESF, which emerged during the 2001 World Social Forum held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, attracted a number of world renowned activists including, Aleida Guevara, daughter of Che Guevara; president of Ireland's Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams; former Labour MP, George Galloway; president of ATTAC, Bernard Cassen; and others. Culminating in a 15,000 person strong anti-war protest, the forum addressed issues dealing with war and peace, democracy and fundamental rights, social justice and workers rights , corporate globalization, and the environment. Six delegates from Armenia, France, and England represented the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) during the three-day forum. The delegates participated in discussions concerning the Turkish occupation of Cyprus, the condition of Kurds living in Turkey, and Turkey's aspiration to enter the European Union. The AYF delegation had the opportunity to meet with several groups from Turkey, whose members acknowledged the 1915 genocide of Ottoman Armenians and the need for the government of Turkey to formally recognize the event as such. The delegation also met with representatives of French Socialist Party and the leaders of ECOSY--the youth organization of the Party of European Socialists--which, like the AYF, is a member of the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY). 4) University of Michigan to Bring Together South Caucasus Diplomats and Scholars International Conference will consider foreign policies and conflicts in Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia (UMich)--During four days in October, the Ann Arbor campus of the University of Michigan will become the gathering point for diplomats and scholars who, for the past 15 years, have been involved in the shaping or study of the foreign policies and conflict resolution processes of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia . The international conference, titled "Armenia/the South Caucasus and Foreign Policy Challenges," is being organized by the Armenian Studies Program at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and will be held at the main campus of the University on October 21-24. The conference is co-sponsored by the International Institute, the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, the Center for Russian and East European Studies, The Department of History, the Near Eastern Studies Department, and the Political Science Department. This unique gathering will bring together some thirty-five scholars, past and present diplomats, and conflict negotiators from over ten countries, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Iran, the European Union, Canada, and the US to discuss the challenges faced by these republics in developing policies in a fast changing world, the path traveled in resolving outstanding conflicts, with special emphasis on the Mountainous Karabagh problem. The goals of the conference are: to acquaint the University and larger community in the country with the specific issues and challenges that relate to a part of the world that has acquired increased significance in the last decade; to place in historical and international perspectives the path traveled by Armenia and the South Caucasus since the break up of the USSR; to reflect on the perceptions and policies adopted in the 1990s by the South Caucasus republics, their neighbors, and international actors; to assist the academic and policy making communities--in the region and in the international community--in redefining and refining their approaches to the region; and, possibly develop ideas and approaches that might enhance conflict resolution, regional cooperation, and long term integration of the region in the international community to the benefit the peoples of the region. The South Caucasus region has acquired increased strategic significance since the collapse of the USSR. It has as immediate neighbors Russia, Turkey and Iran, each with its own interests and concerns. The US has projected its own strategic view on the region, while Europe considers it part of its extended neighborhood. Caspian Sea hydrocarbon resources and their export routes have added another dimension to regional politics, complicating further the challenges faced by the three republics in balancing the sometimes conflicting interests of bigger neighbors and the West. The conference will be open to the general public. All sessions will provide ample opportunity for the attending public to participate in the question and answer and discussion segments. Details on the program and speakers of the conference can be found on the website of the University of Michigan Armenian Studies Program at Inquiries can be made by writing to Sara Sarkisian ([email protected]). All sessions will take place at the Alumni Center, main campus. 5) Chess Olympiad Update In the 6th round of the 36th Chess Olympiad taking place in Calvia, Spain, Armenia's men beat the Canadian team 3,5-0,5. Rafael Vahanyan, Smbat Lputyan, and Gabriel Sargssyan all won their matches, while Levon Aronyan drew to hold sixth place in the competition. Ukraine, who holds first place so far, beat Azerbaijan 2,5-1,5. Russia follows in second place after defeating Israel. Armenia's Women team beat Vietnam in the sixth round of competitions, with Lilit Lazarian and Nelly Aghinyan winning their matches, and Elina Danielyan drawing. Armenia's women now hold eighth place, putting them in a good position to place third overall. The Russian women's team holds first place. All subscription inquiries and changes must be made through the proper carrier and not Asbarez Online. ASBAREZ ONLINE does not transmit address changes and subscription requests. (c) 2004 ASBAREZ ONLINE. All Rights Reserved. ASBAREZ provides this news service to ARMENIAN NEWS NETWORK members for academic research or personal use only and may not be reproduced in or through mass media outlets.

Armenia’s nationalist parties urge compatriots to vote for Democrats
A1+ web site
21 Oct 04
Today the traditional [as received] Armenian parties of America,
Dashnaktsutyun [the Armenian Revolutionary Federation –
Dashnaktsutyun], the Ramkavar-Azatakan [Liberal Democratic] and
Henchakyan [the Bell], appealed to the US Armenians. They urged the
Armenian population of the USA to vote for democrat John Kerry on 2
November.
The parties noted his positive attitude to the Armenian community, his
position on the Armenian genocide of 1915 and interest in the Karabakh
problem.